About Planetarium Weekend Shows

Step inside our Planetarium and join us for one of our planetarium shows.

We have three different shows running every day at the weekends. The show schedule is shown below.

Planetarium shows cost £3.50 per person per show* (£3 for members), in addition to Thinktank's admission price.

Pre-booking available online as an add-on activity when you purchase your admission tickets.

Weekend planetarium shows

Polaris, the space submarine and the mystery of the polar night

The story is about Vladimir the polar bear and James the penguin, who meet at the North Pole; they then try to understand why their respective homes have such long winters.

Using Vladimir’s ingenious construction skills and James’ scientific knowledge they take a journey into space to observe the Earth, and compare their observations with other planets in the solar system. Their journey is not all plain-sailing, and we share some of their adventures on their quest for knowledge.

Show length 27min, suitable for all ages

Show times: 11am*, 2.15pm
*show with English Captions

Seasonal Stars: Winter

A show about easy-to-see objects in this season's sky; includes how to find the North Star and how to find some of the seasonal constellations.

This includes the 10min show: Spaceports

Learn how satellites are launched and why the UK is building spaceports.

Total show length 20min, suitable for all ages.

Show times: 11.45pm, 1.30pm, 4pm

Europe to the Stars

Discover the essential aspects of an astronomical observatory, and a broader view of how astronomy is done. From site-testing to locate the best places in the world for observing the sky, to how telescopes are built and what mysteries of the Universe astronomers are revealing.

Meet the European Southern Observatory in a story of cosmic curiosity, courage and perseverance; a story of observing a Universe of deep mysteries and hidden secrets; and a story of designing, building and operating the most powerful ground-based telescopes on the planet.

Show length 32min, suitable for ages 5+

Show times: 12.30pm, 3pm